Can we do anything to prevent cervical cancer? The answer is an unequivocal, yes. We can immunize our children against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). If it were mandated for the HPV vaccine to be given to girls, it would be the first vaccine given to prevent cervical cancer. This would also be the first time that a person could be immunized against a sexually transmitted disease, which is how the Human Papillomavirus is transmitted. The HPV vaccine has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) along with other professional originations in an effort to prevent the spread of the Human Papillomavirus. Making the Human Papillomavirus vaccine mandatory would save lives, and why would …show more content…
Another concern is that girls might get a false sense of security by thinking the vaccine gives them protection from other sexual transmitted diseases when it does not (Thomas, 2008). Parents have worries about the safety of vaccines, and do not want to give the HPV vaccine or any other vaccines for that matter. There seems to be a bigger fear of gluten right now than Polio.
Over the last few years more and more parents have obviously been making the decision not to vaccinate their children as evidence by the increase in measles cases, going from less than one hundred in 2002 to over six hundred in 2014 ("Measles Cases and Outbreaks," 2015). The measles outbreak in California shows that there are active anti-vaccine groups in the United States at this time. Although The Centers for Disease Control does acknowledge that all vaccines have a potential for allergic reactions. The HPV vaccine has been only known to cause pain at the injection site, fever, nausea and fainting ("HPV Vaccine Information for Clinicians - Fact Sheet," 2015). The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) discusses the possibility of vaccines, including the HPV vaccine being associated with learning disabilities ("National Vaccine Information Center Archives," n.d.). However, there is no proof to support that consensus, and there is medical scientific evidence that disproves the false conceptions in regards to the
“Ninety percent of the 1,552 parents surveyed online said they strongly agree that getting vaccines, like MMR, Varicella, Meningococcal Conjugate, and HPV, can protect their children from diseases, but also said that they believe those same vaccines could have serious adverse effects. Indeed, 11.5% had refused at least one physician-recommended for their child or children” ( par. 2).
Although the negative claims behind anti-immunization stances are deceptive and discredited, some parents find it difficult to accept that vaccines are necessary and safe. Many of these reasons are due to personal or religious beliefs that have persuaded parents to bypass immunizations for their children. Consequently, health officials are seeing disquieting rises of diseases that are easily preventable. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has reported hundreds of measles cases in the United States in 2011, the largest number in 15 years (Ben-Joseph, Elana). Essentially, almost all of these cases were in individuals who had not received a vaccine shot. Also found in the article was that a great amount of the quarrel over the shots comes from a 1998 study that tried to connect autism to a type of vaccine that defends against measles. However, there has been no scientific evidence that a vaccine or a combination of any of the shots induces autism. Undoubtedly, the doctor that wrote the article, calling vaccines a “deliberate fraud” ,lost his license for not submitting any evidence of his claim and causing people to neglect shots for that year. Sadly, due to that article, 1 in 4 parents still believe that vaccines are
Prophylactic vaccination against high risk human papilloma virus 16 and 18 represents an exciting means of protection against HPV related malignancy. However, this strategy alone, even if there is a level of cross protection against other oncogenic viruses, cannot completely prevent cervical cancer. In some countries cervical screening programs have reduced the incidence of invasive cervical cancer by up to 80 percent although this decline has now reached a plateau with current cancers occurring in patients who have failed to attend for screening or where the sensitivity of the tests have proved inadequate. Cervical screening is inevitably associated with significant anxiety for the many women who require investigation and treatment following abnormal cervical cytology. However, it is vitally important to stress the need for continued cervical screening to complement vaccination in order to optimize prevention in vaccines and prevent cervical cancer in older women where the value of vaccination is currently unclear. It is likely that vaccination will ultimately change the natural history of HPV disease by reducing the influence of the highly oncogenic types HPV 16 and 18. In the long term this is likely to lead to an increase in recommended screening intervals. HPV vaccination may also reduce
Almost all cervical carcinomas are caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer can be a life-threating disease. However, over recent years the occurrence of cervical cancer has declined as well as the chance of dying from it. A huge contributing factor to this decline is the importance of a regular pap smear. A pap smear can find cervical pre-cancer before it turns into cancer. Recently, a vaccine for HPV, has been on the market, which provides close to a 100% protection against pre-cancer and general warts. HPV and cervical cancer are two disease that are closely related. However, each disease effects not only similar populations, but also different populations, as well as having its own signs and symptoms, detection procedures,
What if a young girl cannot afford or choice not to get the vaccine what is the outcome for them, and then if girls get the vaccine can it really stop young girls from getting Cervical cancer. Adams discuss that “ Cervical Cancer is prevented in a hundred other ways, including adequate sunlight exposure and vitamin D consumption, supplementation with probiotics, adequate intake of selenium and zinc, increased consumption of trace minerals and iodine, regular physical exercise and many other safe, natural, non-patented strategies” (447). Does anyone know really if the HPV vaccine will really stop the profit of cervical cancer? The Center of Disease control and Prevention: reported that the number of new cases has fallen to about 50,000 in 2005 according to Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report of March 16 (449). Allen points out that the women who did receive the vaccine had no major side effects. In other case Cervical Cancer strikes 14,000 American women each year killing one-fourth of them (449). If a young girl, a parent doesn’t want their daughter to get the vaccine or even has second thought about it, they should make a doctor appointment yearly to check for Cervical cancer. Then the next thing to do if the young lady does need the HPV vaccine is learn more about the vaccine and decided if they want to go in that direction for their daughter.
Moreover, a preventable disease such as four strands of HPV can be prevented. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that, if not treated with the vaccination, “HPV infection is a major cause of oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the base of the tongue, the tonsils, and the walls of the pharynx.” (Dana-Farber). The fact that a simple two second vaccination can prevent something as serious and deadly as cancer should be more than enough for anti-vaccinators to open their eyes. However, parents argue that vaccines hold harmful chemicals and, although they do, the dosage of any chemical in a vaccine is not harmful. “Chemical doses in vaccines are negligible. For example, vaccines that include aluminum, which are included to make the vaccine more effective, contain 0.152 milligrams per dose. The average person actually takes in an estimated 30 to 50 milligrams through food and drink. Way more than one vaccination on a daily basis.” (AsapSCIENCE). Although to some it may be hard to believe, the government would not allow an invention meant to save lives, take them away. Some parents give the argument “What is the true purpose of vaccines and how
Controversy concerning the risks of vaccinations will always exist. As is the nature of a preventative intervention, it is difficult to rationalize giving a completely healthy child an injection that is known to have varying degrees of sides affects5. Additionally, these injections are to provide immunity to children for diseases that have an extremely low risk of circulating within a population. Since these vaccines have been able to protect so many individuals from experiencing these dangerous infections, most parents do not even have personal experiences regarding the impact of these diseases. As such, many parents do not see the vaccine-preventable disease as a threat to their child. This often causes parents to not fully understand the risk their child has for contracting a disease and the subsequent danger of a vaccine-preventable disease infection verses the potential side effect of a vaccine which is normally only mild to moderate discomfort for their child15.
However, shouldn’t it be a woman’s choice if they choose the 70% of cervical cancers or the 0.05% risk? However, the bottom line is that their choice to be vaccinated could save everyone. It’s a simple concept; herd immunity. When everyone is vaccinated, the vaccine is far more effective. One example of herd immunity is polio. Nowadays, polio is not a real threat to the people of the United States because essentially, we are all immune. However, during the 1960’s, this was definitely not the case. Eventually as a vaccine for polio was developed, the virus became far less prevalent because people were being vaccinated. But, do you think that every single person in the United States got vaccinated? No. However, a majority of people did until there was no way or source for the people who were unprotected from the virus to contract it. This same event can occur for HPV. If we make this vaccine mandatory for 11-12 year old girls, before they’re sexually active, the number of people who could pass on the virus would be less and less, until we eliminate the strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus responsible for cervical cancer. It is one the most common viral sexually transmitted infections. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV vaccination of girls have become sources of controversy for parents of school-aged youth, legislators, members of the medical community, and the public at large (Cooper et al. 2010).
There are two HPV vaccines available for females (Cervarix and Gardasil) that protect against cervical cancer (CDC, 2013). The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization
In addition, the immune system of most women will usually suppress or eliminate HPVs. This is very important because only an ongoing persistent infection has the potential to lead to cervical cancer (HPV). Eleven thousand cases of this kind of cancer were confirmed in 2007 in the United States; the amount undiagnosed is still unclear but believed to be in the tens of thousands. But to give some perspective of the problem you need to understand its effects on a global level. On the world wide scale cervical cancer strikes nearly half a million women each year, claiming more than a quarter of a million lives. “High risk” HPV types 16 and 18 are implicated in Seventy percent of cervical cancers and are hence selected for vaccine targets (The HPV).
The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention. Over thousands of cases of HPV cancers are detected every year in men and women. The HPV vaccination is important because it can prevent these cancers. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved this vaccine and it is one hundred percent safe. This vaccine is preventive care for the second leading cancer in women. It has been proven to be one hundred percent effective in prevention of cervical cancer, but the vaccine must be given to children between the age of 11 -17 before they become sexually active. After the age seventeen with young women most become sexually active and receive their first pap smear from their gynecologist, receiving the vaccine at this point is not as effective in prevention of cancers. Another benefit of receiving the vaccine during adolescent, is it supports people who may not have the medical knowledge or access to regular medical services.
All 50 states require vaccinations for children to enter kindergarten. These mandated vaccinations protect children from various diseases, such as, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, etc. These are contagious diseases that are contracted by casual contact within a school setting and have resulted in many deaths prior to the introduction of the vaccine. Mandating these vaccinations was the only solution to prevent the disease from spreading. In recent years the side effects of these vaccinations have been in question. Every child is unique and their bodies respond differently to each vaccination. Therefore, it is crucial to educate parents about all vaccinations and possible side effects. An informed parent has the right to decide whether to have their child vaccinated and when to have their child vaccinated. In 2006 the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced to the vaccination repertoire for 11-12 year old females and in 2010 for same aged males (Keim-Malpass,29). This vaccination is now mandated in Rhode Island, Virginia, and The District of Columbia. This vaccination unlike the other mandated vaccinations is to prevent the spread of a sexually transmitted disease, which is not contracted casually in a school setting. Mandating the HPV vaccine has created much controversy.
Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related mortality in countries such as India accounting for more than 17% of all cancer deaths in women aged 30-69. [3] Cervical cancer is one such type of cancer in which screening plays a significant role. Clinical trials done in below poverty level populations do encounter ethical issues to a certain extent with regards to informed consent as most or all of these patients are illiterate. However informed consent is extremely important when justifying data for such clinical trials. Countries such as US have implemented Pap smear screening as one of the most important cervical cancer screening methods. In countries as densely populated as India where proper healthcare facilities does not reach slums and extremely poverty stricken societies, alternatives for screening are indicated- VIA or Visual inspection with acetic acid
Despite vaccinations being credited for the control and elimination of several childhood diseases, there are still many critics who raise concerns about the necessity of vaccination. In a national study of parents performed in 2000, 19% indicated they had “concerns about vaccines” whereas in a subsequent survey performed in 2009 this number had risen to 50%. There has also been a rise in non-medical vaccine exemptions that has occurred over the last several years. In a 2010 national survey of physicians, 89% of respondents reported at least one vaccine refusal by a parent each month (Dempsey & Gowda, 2013). Opposers argue that making school vaccination mandatory is against their right to make personal medical decisions. They feel that the government has no place to force parents to vaccinate their children if the parents decide it is not in their child’s best interest. Many parents are disagreeable about the multiple vaccinations received at one time, which results in possible pain and discomfort for the child. Another argument against vaccination is the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Critics are concerned about the unknown risks vaccines pose to children. Some parents noted their child acquiring a “high fever” or beginning to “act different” after the administration of a vaccine. There is a belief that there is a connection between the measles vaccination and autism. Another theory is that the influenza